Bariela is a Program Analyst within the Legal Access Programs at Acacia. Before joining Acacia, she served as a Legislative Aide to New York State Senator Samra Brouk, actively participating in the passage of legislation addressing mental health accessibility. Bariela’s diverse background includes working with the NYS Division of Human Rights and NYS Senator Julia Salazar.

Having immigrated to Albany, New York, from Pogradec, Albania, during her adolescence, Bariela is deeply committed to fostering a more accessible and equitable immigration process in the United States. She holds an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in political science and emergency preparedness, homeland security, and cybersecurity (EHC) from the University at Albany, SUNY. Additionally, she is recognized as a Yale Law School Launchpad Scholar.

Residing in upstate New York, Bariela enjoys traveling, reading, and spending quality time with loved ones.